Improved machine for welding and cutting railroad-rails



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JOSEPH `STONAEQOF KEESEVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, O. S. BAUM, 'M. rIYGONRO, E. W. REYNOLDS, AND G; T. THOMAS, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No..91,178, datell .une'8, 1869.

IMPROVD MACHINE POR WELDING- AND CUTTING-RAILROAD-RAILS.

*The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patentand making part of the same.

To allwh-om 'it ma/y'concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH STONE, assignor to myself, C.S. BAUM, and others, of Keeseville, in the county of' Essex, and State of New York, have iuvented a newand improved Machine for Cutting and Welding Railroad-Rails and I do hereby vdeclare that the following is va full and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and, to the letters of' reference marked thereon.

This invention consists'in certain details of construction, whereby the "several operations of welding, cutting, and punching rails are ei'ected, the construction and'operation of which will hereinafter more fully appear. Y .Y

In the drawings- Figure 1 is aplan view of my invention;

Figure 2, a vertical section through line z x, g. l;

Figure 3, a side elevation of cross-head; and Figure 4.1epresents the clamps as used for weldmg.

To enable others skilledv in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe fully its v"construction and operation.

A represents the foundation ofthe machine, provided with the standards Al A2 and A3 A, the two former of whichare connected by the Vcross-beam or span a, in which are the' bearings ofthe driving-shaft a andshafts a2 a, the opposite bearings of the same being respectively in the standards A3, A4, and A5.

A The.: driving-shaft .is provided with the balancelwheellB, and outside the standard A3, with a pulley or other suitable means of receiving power. l

Inclose proximity to the balance-wheel B is the pinion B, ywhich, meshes with the gear-wheel B3, which is loosely attached to the shaft a3, and revolves freely thereon. It is provided with the disk b, rigidly attached thereto, the inner side of which engages with a clutch of' any description on theA sliding collar b2, the latter being provided with the annular groove b3, in which the fingers ofthe bifurcated arms O operate. The arms O form a part of the lever O, which is' pivoted at C2 to a projection on Vthe standard A5.

I attach my cnllarlf" to the shaft in any conven' ient manner, preferably by forming longitudinal proj ections on the latter, .which `'engage with corresponding grooves or slots in the bore of the former,

Near the cross-beam a is the cog-wheel C, which meshes with thewheelOa, on .the shaft a2, both of which wheels are of the same diameter, and have their bearings in the cross-beam a, their ends being nearly iiush with the outer side of the same.

' c c represent ytwo pinsor projections, eccentrically attached to the ends of the shafts a and a3, which project horizontally through the elongated orifices c2 ci, in the sliding cross-head c, and when the shafts **QP-v-nrevolve, .impart reciprocating vertical motion to the cross-head c, which moves in the grooved channels DD, in the projections D D.

v. l)2 represents a projection on the cross-head, which is provided with a suitable recess for the movable knife or chisel D3, and has an additional projection, d, on the lower end of which are the vertical punches d* dLwhich, when depressed by the cross-head, enter suitable orifices in a plate beneath.

In the shafts a? a3, and about midway of the same, are the eccentrics d d,

d represents a cross-head, extending between the ecentrics d2 and (Z3, and provided on its under surface with fingers that clasp the sidesrof the same.

v E represents an elastic strip of metal, whereby the cross-head d* is held in position.- A vertical motion is imparted to the'cross-head by means of the eccentrics, which motion is imparted by the connecting-rod El to the rock-shaft E2, between the standards A and A, which shaft is held by the adjustable pointed pivots e e, which transform the reciprocating motion `of the cross-head d* to a vibrating motion, having its centre at the pivots e e.

In the upperA part of the rock-shaft E2 is a recess, in whichis placed the die e, the outer end of which, and the inner end of the die e2, are of the form of a cross-section ofrail.

The die c2 is located in a recess in the bed-plate F, upon which are the projection Fl and holes f f.

The operation of my invention is as follows:

When the rail is to be cut, it is placed transversely upon theprojection below the knife.

The clutch being thrown into gearby means of the sliding collar b2, the driving-shaft is set in motion, i whch operatesthe gear-wheel B3 by the abovedescribed connection.

Motion is thence communicated to the shafts a? a", Iwith their eccentric attachments, by means of which the cross-head n, with the knife D, is operated, which latter descends with sufficient force to cut the rail transversely, as shown in red, iig. 4, the same being lirmly held between the die e, on the rock-shaft, and the die e2.

To weld the rails, the knife is removed, and the ends of the rails are bevelled in any suitable manner, heated to a suicient degree, lapped together, and

placed inthe peculiar-shaped space between the dies During this operation the gear-wheel B3 has been thrown out of' connection by the lever O, in order that the welding-mechanism may remain quiet during the preparation ofthe rails.

Let the connection be again formed, when the eccentrics d2 d3, on shafts a? a3, wili' impart the reciproeating motion to the cross-head d, which willimpa'rt the vibrating motion to the rock-shaft E2, and force the die e rmly against the heated ends of the rails, compressing them into the form of the ends of the dies.

When it is desired to punch the spike-holes in the flanges of the rails, they are placed under the punches d* d, the upper part of the rail passing between the same, and, by the above-described operation, the punches are brought down and form the holes.

The form of the dies may be varied to adapt the arrangement to dii'erent styles of rails, as also the other operating-devices, as described.

The construction of my invention must necessarily be one of great strength, to compensate for the hardness of the material employed. The rails must also be held securely when being cnt; if otherwise, the knife would speedily be ruined by the strain to which it would be subjected.

Witnesses f ABNER SBELDoN, GUs'rAvUs Pnms. 

